So one of the biggest aspects of the motivational or self-help programs that you come across is setting goals. The truth is that this is a technique used to get you to down to a very real, very immediate goal that can be achieved and therefore success can be realized.
Now, if you already have a clear cut goal in mind like; exercise more, find a soul mate, build and business, market a product, invent something, write something, etc…then that’s great! Read through and do this exercise though anyway as it will still have some benefits to your progress.
My technique is this:
1. Imagine you are 75 years old and your Son is giving a speech about you at a luxurious and extravagant black-tie affair. Your Son is lovingly recalling all the things that got you to this point of achievement and success and even more importantly, adoration. He is recounting your individual success and achievements and most importantly your sweeping humanitarian efforts realized thanks to your wealth and success.
2. Write down, quickly, the laundry list of successes. What is he telling everyone, what do you hear, jot down the laundry list as fast as you hear it.
3. Look over your list and pick the top 3 things that you really want to experience achieving, what items on that list seem like they’d be the most fun to do and not just hear about having achieved.

These 3 items are your long-term goals. These are great but this is just the beginning.
Now, what most programs will do is to boil down one of these goals into a manageable sized task where you can realize progress towards its end. What I mean is that we take your large, long term goal and find a way for you to start accomplishing it one day at a time, with little successes that you can stack on top of each other then look back on and say, “wow! I’m making progress”.

I feel this IS valuable and we’re going to do it but I wanted you to know what it was so that you also understand and learn about the process you are undertaking and in time you will start to be able to formulate these little tasks to success on your own and with out any conscious thought.

Ok so next steps:

4. Does one of the top 3 things also coincide with what you were already thinking of working towards? If so then great! Use that! If not then pick one!

Don’t worry if you’re not sure if this is the only one you want to do because you can come back anytime and do these steps and the whole program over again with a different goal in mind.

That’s it for picking your goal. See, not that intense, right? Next we’ll work actually accomplishing it! Review this process a few times if need before deciding what it is that you want to go after and it doesn’t have to be so difficult! Just go with your gut!